Silver Butterfly Lapel Pin
A silver butterfly lapel pin brings a delicate, winged accent to a lapel, spanning Victorian to Mid-Century Scandinavian craftsmanship.
Silver Butterfly Lapel Pin
A silver butterfly lapel pin is a small brooch worn fastened to clothing, taking the form of a winged insect. These items appear in various styles including Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and Victorian designs.
Buyers will most frequently meet pieces from the 1930s and 1920s on this page. Common configurations combine silver with enamel, butterfly wing, or filigree work.
How they were made
Maker construction relies heavily on sterling silver and standard silver, frequently enhanced with gold vermeil or silver gilt. Workshops employed detailed filigree wirework to outline the delicate bodies and wings.
Colour and pattern are introduced through guilloche enamel or preserved butterfly wing sections set beneath glass. Certain examples incorporate diamonds for added sparkle.
Silver Butterfly Lapel Pin Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for silver butterfly lapel pin among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
Even the tiny antennae are carefully twisted from silver wire to ensure each insect looks ready to take flight.
What varies in quality
The sophistication of the enamel work dictates much of the visual standard, particularly in guilloche pieces where the engine-turned patterns show beneath translucent layers. Intricacy in silver filigree separates standard production from finer artisan pieces.
The choice of supplementary materials alters the character of the design, moving from simple metalwork to pieces set with diamonds or genuine butterfly wing panels. Maker attribution, such as Norwegian designer work, also influences distinction.
Hroar Prydz
The Silver Butterfly Lapel Pin Glossary
- Guilloche enamel
- A decorative technique where a precise geometric pattern is機械 engraved into metal and covered with translucent enamel. This allows the underlying texture to show through the glossy surface.
- Silver gilt
- Silver that has been coated with a thin layer of gold. It provides the warm appearance of gold while retaining a silver base.
- Filigree
- Delicate jewellery work formed from fine twisted threads of silver soldered together. It creates an open, lace-like pattern.
- Butterfly wing
- A decorative medium using iridescent tropical butterfly wing fragments sealed under glass. Popularised during the early twentieth century.
- Sterling silver
- An alloy of silver containing ninety-two point five percent silver and seven point five percent other metals, usually copper. It offers durability alongside a bright metallic lustre.
Silver Butterfly Lapel Pin: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I wear a lapel pin?
A lapel pin fastens securely through the fabric of a jacket or coat collar using a pin stem and catch mechanism.
Position the pin on the left lapel, aligning it roughly with the buttonhole for a balanced appearance.
What periods do these pins come from?
The pieces span several distinct eras, beginning with the Victorian period and moving through the 1920s and 1930s.
Later examples extend into the 1950s, particularly within Mid-Century Scandinavian design traditions.
What materials are used in these brooches?
Construction primarily utilises silver and sterling silver, sometimes finished with silver gilt or gold vermeil.
Surface decoration frequently incorporates enamel, glass, diamonds, or butterfly wing segments.
How do I distinguish Art Deco pieces?
Art Deco pins from the 1920s often feature geometric symmetry and stylised depictions of insects.
They frequently combine sterling silver with butterfly wing or bold enamel accents.